an electric fanzine from Adelaide

Tweaking the design

Roman: As we mentioned last issue, one of the reasons we’re producing an online ’zine is to experiment with the possibilities of time-based media. Adam’s article this issue includes some videos of robots in action, and I’ve added a snippet of acrobatic Angels from Womadelaide.

We’re pleased to have some more pieces from Lynelle Howell and David Faber this issue, and a fairly lengthy article from longtime fan Leigh Edmonds. I caught up with Leigh at Continuum 14, where he was furiously taking notes during the Zine panel.

Most of the panellists weren’t producing fanzines in the SF sense, but rather contributing to the modern DIY Zine movement (what I sometimes call “art” zines, as they’re primarily seen as personal artistic expression). David Witteveen shared some of his minicomic zines, and Alison Evans and Katherine Back talked about their Concrete Queers, produced to share positive images of queer artists (50 over the last ten issues).

Melbourne also hosts one of the largest Zine Fairs around, and the Sticky Institute provides support for new zines & zinesters.

Leigh noted that the SF fanzines not only pre-dated all the others (punk, rock, sport, art), but that it was a fanzine editor who produced the first punk zines. he suggested a major difference was that fanzines also acted as a communication between fans globally — hence the importance of the letter columns — whereas few DIY zines have such sections. Presumably the internet provides the chat/feedback required.

Feedback

Some of you added some comments to articles in the first issue. You’ll notice that we don’t have comment forms this issue, and instead invite you to send us emails on the first two issues to letters@wild-goose.net — don’t worry, they’ll reach both of the editors! We will have a letter column in issue 3, due September. We are considering an online forum as well, but it still leaves a few questions.

Many thanks to those who subscribed to The Wild Goose Chase, commented on articles, or sent us emails expressing interest. Some fans have promised articles, and we’re always happy to consider a proposal — send suggestions/ideas to editors@wild-goose.net

For those fans who are having problems printing the articles so that they can save them and read them offline, our apologies: slideshows, videos and soundscapes will prove a little difficult to print. We do plan to produce a version you can download and view locally, but for now we’d like to know what you like/dislike about the online version.

Adam: I’m not sure I should count a second issue as a milestone, but it does seem to indicate something in terms of a fanzine. It has been an interesting (and busy) three months since the first issue, with a lot happening in SF – from some big blockbuster movies, through new TV debuts, and plenty happening in the publishing scene. Along with some sad departures: Christopher Stasheff, whose Starship Troupers series caught my imagination many years ago; Gardner Dozois; and Harlan Ellison (to name just three).

In this issue I particular enjoyed David Faber’s review of Red Sparrow. I’d just finished watching it when I saw his review, and that came only a week after binge-watching Salvation. The juxtaposition of the two depictions of the US and international politics was an interesting one. There’s also a bit of a focus this issue on conventions, which – if nothing else – has convinced me that I need to get back to attending them at the earliest opportunity. It has been a long time since Conjecture in 2009.